It's Election Day â€” don't forget to vote

November 6, 2012

If you did not receive an “Official Voter Information Guide" in the mail, and want one, visit voterguide.sos.ca.gov. The list of Propositions takes some time to look over.

It's Election Day and it’s too late to register to vote in Mono County or to request a vote-by-mail ballot. You can still vote provisionally, if you did not get your mail-in ballot and want to vote, by going to a polling place.

If you have voted on your vote-by-mail ballot, but have not mailed it in, you can still hand deliver the ballot at a polling place today, as long as it is delivered by 8 p.m., when the polls close.

One thing to be aware of is that the ballot has changed since the last election. Due to a recently passed proposition, the “Voter Nominated” law, voters are able to vote for state representative and congressional candidates regardless of the candidates political party, with the top two candidates now on the ballot.

The top two candidates for state Assembly this year are Rico Oller and Frank Bigelow, both Republicans. The top two candidates for the U.S. Congressional 8th District seat (Mono County was redistricted out of Howard P. “Buck” McKeon’s 25th District after the 2010 Census), Gregg Imus and Paul Cook, are also both Republicans.

Local Mono County races appear on the ballot much like they always have. There are nine local candidates running for five open seats this year—two candidates running for the District 4 Mono County Supervisor seat, three candidates running for two Mammoth Unified School District board seats, and four candidates running for two Eastern Sierra Unified School District board seats.

Eastern Sierra Unified School District voters can vote for one candidate from the Bridgeport area and one from the Lee Vining area. The voter is not restricted to voting for a candidate that lives in the same area as the voter.

Those voting in person on Nov. 6 need to vote at their assigned polling location. The county is divided into 13 precincts and each has a designated voting place. There are six polling places in the county, with Mammoth Lakes’ polling sites serving several precincts in one polling place.